Happy Frakkin' Colonial Day
by LadyK25
Summary: This started as what was going on inside Kara, Gaius, and Lee's heads during the end of Colonial Day and part one of "Kobol's Last Gleaming" and has moved on to what happens to everyone after the season finale ends...
1. Kara

Title: Happy Frakkin' Colonial Day  
Author: LadyK25  
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Battlestar Galactica or its characters. I'd just like to enlist and fly vipers.  
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Please let me know what you think!  
Summary: What was going on inside their heads during Kobol's Last Gleaming, part 1.

I would just like to say from the start that I don't really want to see a Lee/Kara pairing. At the very least, I think that it is way too soon. I havent't seen part two of the season finale yet so I don't know if any more goes on between Lee and Kara, but I'm hoping that it doesn't. I'd like to see them stay just friends for a while longer. It's so much more fun this way. With that said, I just felt this little story had to be told after watching part one of "Kobol's Last Gleaming".

Happy Frakkin' Colonial Day

Kara

__

What the frak was she thinking? Kara leaned on the sink and stared at herself in the mirror, finally looking away in disgust. So she'd had a couple drinks too many. It had been so nice to just forget about everything that had happened and pretend that it was just like any other Colonial Day. She had even worn a dress for the special occasion. She thought back, trying to recall the last time she had worn one, but couldn't remember. At least Lee had noticed her knee, well, both of them actually, but that didn't seem to stop him from letting the Doc cut in and steal her away from him. He had just nodded politely to Dr. Baltar and moved on without a look back, but she had watched him. From the corner of her eye, she kept track of everything he did. First, he asked President Roslin to dance and then Dualla.

At that point, both she and the Doc had gotten thirsty so they sat and had a drink. She sipped the ambrosia and saw Lee and that blond reporter – she couldn't remember her name – walk to the dance floor, and somehow she carried on a coherent conversation with the Doc at the same time. Lee danced the next dance with that reporter while she ordered another round of drinks. He danced the following dance with her, too. It was a real slow song and from the looks of it, she doubted you could slide a piece of paper between the two of them.

Kara was no longer just sipping the ambrosia. She downed another and then stood. "Come on, Doc. Let's dance," she said like she didn't have a care in the world. Gaius took her hand and happily followed her to the floor. They were playing another slow song. They passed Lee and that reporter. She pulled the Doc as close to her as those two were. Lee never even looked her way.

She rested her cheek on the Doc's chest, blinking to clear her watery eyes. She didn't see Lee glance over the top of the reporter's head for what must've been the hundredth time or see the muscle jump in his cheek when he clenched his teeth together to keep his emotions in check.

She didn't turn down another drink when the Doc offered it. She also didn't resist when he said he was getting a little bored with all the festivities and suggested they go someplace a little quieter. It just felt good to have someone hold her. It had been so long.

She couldn't believe that she had said Lee's name out loud the next morning. It must've been the after effects from all that damn ambrosia the night before. There was no other reason for being so stupid. The look on the Doc's face had surprised her. She obviously expected that he would be pissed to hear another man's name at a moment like that, but it was more than that. She doubted that he could even tell you how many women he'd slept with; she was just another among many. It wasn't like they were in love or anything. Funny though, he had actually looked hurt. She thought that was weird.

She definitely knew that she had hurt him when she came across him at the card game. That was so unlike him to lash out at her the way he did. He never seemed to take anything very seriously. That's why a part of her liked him. He amused her, even if she never told him so. She could tell he hadn't been trying to be amusing then, though. Call him Mr. Vice President, my ass.

She'll remember that awful moment for a long time. It was too much trying to deal with both of them at the same time. Lee had looked from the Doc back to her and she saw the exact moment when the realization of what she'd done dawned in Lee's eyes. She knew then that she had truly messed up this time. She just had to get away when she fled from both of them and jogged to the hangar deck. She just hoped that she had been able to pull it off and that neither one had realized how shaken she truly was. Then later when Lee had punched her in the face…she deserved it. If only it could have made her feel as bad on the outside as she did inside.

The clank of the door opening snapped her from her thoughts. She looked over to see Boomer walk into the head and wave to her on the way to the stall at the far end of the room near the wall. She looked back into the mirror again, gingerly touching her nose where Lee had punched her. At least he hadn't broken it.


	2. Gaius

Gaius

"Lee…ahh Lee."

Gauis froze. It felt like someone had just thrown him into one of the ice cold pools under the waterfalls near Caprica's mountains that he'd once visited. He rolled off Kara. _She was pretending that he was her precious Captain Adama._ He could've had his choice of admirers last night—he never thought it possible to love politics but he found that he did indeed love the power that came with it—but he had chosen her. Kara. And this is how she repaid him?

He laid flat on his back and stared at the ceiling while he listened to her slip into her dress and leave the room without saying a word. He heard the metallic clunk of the door closing behind her. It was like a thief had just robbed him of his dignity and self respect. This was a new feeling for him and he found that he didn't like it at all. He was always the one in charge. He was always the one to do the choosing and he was the one that left all the broken hearts in a littered trail behind him. No, he didn't like this feeling at all.

He slid off the bed, wrapped the sheet around his waist, and went and poured himself a drink. Six just sat there, watching him. How unusual that for once she didn't have a word to say. He gulped down the glass of ambrosia, the glass nearly breaking when he slammed it down on the table. Six still hadn't moved or spoken. She just sat there looking at him like he'd somehow hurt her, as if she was capable of caring or feeling anything. He bent to pick up his clothes that had been so carelessly strewn around the room last night. When he stood she was gone. Thank the gods, he was alone at last.

His eyes strayed to the rumpled sheets on his bed and he squeezed his eyes shut to block it out. He had been drawn to Kara from the moment he had first met her. He wasn't sure why. She wasn't at all like the type of woman that he usually preferred. He had become quite accustomed to gorgeous women throwing themselves at him. A smile creased his face. Ahh, those were the good old days back on Caprica. He had become quite bored with it, really, truth be told. It was just one of the perks of being a living genius that he had come to take for granted. How he longed for those days again.

Kara was beautiful, he couldn't deny that, but in a tough sort of way. She ignored him, mocked him even, but that had only made him want her all the more. Why was he so drawn to her? Was it her wild spirit; her need to rebel against authority; or was it just simply the ingrained male challenge in him that needed to conquer her? He wasn't sure, but in the end he'd won, after all. He'd had her last night. He just had to keep reminding himself of that fact. Too bad he was left with such an awful taste in his mouth this morning.

* * *

He passed by the officer's mess room and saw a card game was just starting up. Lovely, anything to get his mind off this morning. He strode into the room. "Do you mind if I join in?" 

Lt. Gaeta and Dualla looked up and Crashdown swiveled in his seat to face him. "Sure, why not?" Crashdown answered for them all and gestured to an empty chair next to Dualla. Gaius settled into his seat and watched Crashdown shuffle and then deal the next hand. He already had a small pile of winnings in front of him when Lee came in and joined them. He silently watched Lee across the table. It kept repeating in his head. _Lee…ahh, Lee. _He wanted nothing more than to just lean over and strangle Lee with his bare hands, but that was just so beneath him. He poured some more ambrosia into his glass and downed it.

"You can't compete with me," Gaius said, his words slightly slurred. "I always win."

"Well, I'm sorry," Apollo replied with half a laugh.

Then Six reappeared. She was disappointed with him. Thinks I am a common man, indeed. To hell with her.

He called the hand, and won. He knew he would. He beat Lee. He always wins. He slid his winnings towards him but some fell to the floor. He bent down to retrieve them and when he sat back up Kara was standing in the doorway. "Gaius," she said.

"Mr. Vice President to you, if you don't mind, Lt. Thrace. Some level of decorum has to be maintained, after all, or is it a pirate ship you're running?"

"No, just a Battlestar, sir."

"Would you like to play? Maybe you'd like to sit next to Captain Adama."

Lee looked up at Kara. "Sure, Kara, why don't you pull up a pew?"

Kara's eyes remained riveted to Gaius. "No, it's okay, Lee, I've got things to do." She turned and strode from the room.

His eyes slid away from the door and her retreating back. He had wanted her to hurt as much as she had hurt him. So why was he disgusted with himself at that little display? He'd succeeded in putting her in her place. He glanced up and caught Lee staring at him. He saw the moment when Lee figured out that he'd had Kara last night. He stared straight into Lee's eyes and smiled. Like he'd said earlier, he always wins.


	3. Lee

Lee

Lee let Kara slip from his arms. It's not like he could refuse Dr. Baltar's request to cut in. It just wasn't done. He always did the correct thing. He took a few steps and caught sight of his father and President Roslin as they finished their dance and began to make their way to the edge of the dance floor. He caught up to them and asked her if she'd like to dance.

"I'd love to, Captain Apollo." She accepted his hand and he led her back onto the dance floor. "So, Captain," she asked him as they danced, "are you enjoying the Colonial Day celebration?"

He forced a smile. "I'm having a great time."

"I just saw you dancing with Lieutenant Thrace." She gestured towards Kara and Gaius a few couples away. "I never thought I'd see her in a dress. She looks like a completely different person tonight, doesn't she?"

His eyes lingered on Kara for a moment before softly replying with a simple, "Yes." He didn't notice the president watching him closely and then smiling a little when he finally answered.

The song ended and they turned to find Billy and Dualla beside them on the dance floor. Billy asked President Roslin to dance so Lee felt obligated to ask Dualla. What else could he do? He glanced over Dualla's head and spotted Kara still dancing with Dr. Baltar. His muscles tensed.

"Is something wrong, captain?" Dualla asked.

Lee tore his eyes away from Kara and focused on his dance partner and somehow forced himself to relax. He faked another smile. "No, not at all."

Billy reclaimed Dualla at the end of the song and he saw the president stop to talk to Tom Zarek. Somehow Lee ended up dancing with the blond reporter from talk wireless whose name he couldn't even remember. He wasn't quite sure how that had happened. One moment he was starting to head for the bar to get a drink and then the next thing he knew the woman had insinuated herself into his arms. At least someone actually _wanted_ to dance with him. She was a good dancer, too. A few songs passed without him even realizing it, then a nice slow song started. He didn't think it was possible, but somehow she moved even closer to him. Yikes, he had uniforms that didn't fit him this snugly. He smiled in spite of himself. It seemed like there was always something that kept him busy all day long since the moment he had first flown aboard the Galactica what felt like years ago. It had been quite a while and, truth be told, she felt wonderful in his arms. He was still a man, after all.

In spite of himself, he scanned the dance floor and finally spotted Kara. She was at a small table drinking with Dr Baltar, her head thrown back, laughing at something he'd said. She sure seemed to be enjoying herself. He glanced down at his dance partner. Playa felt his eyes on her and she met his gaze and smiled. His right hand slid around the back of her neck, toying with her shoulder length blond hair. Unbidden came the thought that it was just a little too long and not quite the right shade of blond.

He shook his head, trying to shake Kara from his mind but his eyes had a will of their own and strayed to her table. It was empty. He slowly scanned the room over Playa's shoulder, finally catching sight of her on the dance floor again. Kara's back was to him, giving him a perfect view of Dr. Baltar's hand sliding down her back, stopping for a moment to caress her ass before moving back up to a slightly more respectable area. A muscle jumped in his cheek as he clenched his teeth together to keep his emotions in check because, after all, he never lost control. He couldn't go over and rip Kara from Dr. Baltar's arms like he wanted to. That just wasn't done. And the lords know, he always did the correct thing. Maybe if he'd done more than just compliment Kara's knees earlier—he shook his head. Well, he guessed it didn't matter much now.

His eyes slid closed and he vowed to himself that he'd had enough torture for tonight. It didn't take long for him to break his own vow and scan the room again for Kara. His eyes swept the room, twice to be sure, but still couldn't locate her anywhere in the banquet hall. Before he had time to completely absorb that Kara was gone, he got another surprise. He first heard the voice from right behind him.

"Playa, I just loved you with The Colonial Gang on the wireless today," Ellen gushed.

He momentarily froze. Then, as much as he didn't want to, he and Playa both turned to face Ellen. He kept his left arm around Playa, his hand slid down to rest lightly in the curve of her waist, and pulled her a little closer to him, like some kind of human life preserver. Ellen and Playa chatted for a few moments but he didn't hear a word of it. _Could this day possibly get any worse? He never should have left his bunk this morning._ His question was soon answered and it wasn't what he was hoping for.

"Playa, do you mind if I steal Captain Apollo from you for a dance?" Ellen asked.

The polite smile didn't quite reach Playa's eyes. "Sure, I'll catch up with you later, Lee." His eyes desperately followed her as she walked away and beads of sweat formed on his upper lip. Dreading it as much as facing an executioner, he turned to face Ellen.

"Come on now, Lee. Don't be shy." Ellen latched onto him like a leech and he had no choice but dance with her. It's not like he could just leave her standing alone on the dance floor. After all, that wouldn't be polite and he always did the right thing. He sent a silent prayer to the Lords of Kobol in thanks that at least it wasn't a slow song.

The longest song of his life was finally coming to an end when he spotted Colonel Tigh standing near the bar, watching them dance. "Oh look, Ellen, there's the colonel." He grabbed her hand and had her halfway across the room before she even realized what was happening.

"Lee, don't be absurd." She attempted to dig in her heels to stop him. "Saul hates dancing."

He ignored her. "Oh look, here we are." He transferred Ellen's hand to her husband's arm, quickly wished them both goodnight, and nearly ran from the banquet hall. He paused outside the door, seeing a completely deserted corridor and his face split into a wide grin in relief at his narrow escape. He considered going back for Playa but decided that it was too big a risk. Ellen would never let him go if she got her hands on him again.

* * *

Apollo glanced up from his Triad hand and watched Gaius from across the table. It looked like Gaius was going to polish off that whole bottle of ambrosia practically on his own. His words were getting a bit slurred and he was rambling on about how he always wins. Gaius was definitely in a strange mood today.

"Oh, frak," he mumbled under his breath when he saw Baltar's cards. He couldn't believe he'd lost yet another game to him. He was so sure that he'd had the winning hand this time, too.

Then Kara popped into the officer's mess hall for a few minutes and things got really weird. She and the vice president exchanged words. Lee asked her to pull up a pew but she answered that she had things to do. That wasn't like Kara. She never turned down an opportunity to play Triad. She never even looked at him when she replied. She just stared at Gaius the whole time and then turned and left the room. He saw Crashdown and Dualla exchange looks from the corner of his eye. Everyone in the room could feel the tension.

Something strange was going on. He watched Kara's retreating back and then his gaze slid to Gaius. All the pieces suddenly fell into place. At that moment, he knew their Colonial Day celebrations hadn't ended in the Banquet Hall aboard Cloud 9 last night. It felt worse than when his father had punched him in the gut this morning and just as unexpected.

He silently watched Gaius gather his winnings and head for the door. Gauis paused in the doorway, turning back to face them. "This was great fun. We'll have to do it again soon." He glared at Lee for a heartbeat before disappearing around the corner in the hallway.

"Was he a little weirder than normal today, or was it just me?" Crashdown asked, standing and pocketing what little cubits he had left.

"No, it wasn't just you," Dualla said as the three of them headed out the door and she saw Gaeta nod in agreement. "He definitely seemed to be mad about something."

Lee sat alone at the table, listening to their voices fading away the farther they got from him. He put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. Gaius sleeps with Kara and he's pissed at me? How frakked up is that? And Kara, she'll never change. Kara frakking the vice president of the colonies. What the hell was she thinking? He guessed she was looking for someone a little more powerful than just a simple CAG or maybe just someone smarter. He'd thought…no, it didn't matter what he had been beginning to think. She just proved that she'd always be the same old Kara and would never change her ways.

* * *

Lee had met up with Kara later in the hangar bay. He sat on his bed thinking about what had happened. He'd said some stupid things about her not being able to keep her pants on and brought up that time she'd gotten drunk and slept with the major. His tongue slid across the cut inside his lip that he'd gotten when Kara punched him. By reflex, he'd punched her right back. It wasn't the first time that they'd fought, but it felt…different this time. He ran his fingers through his hair. He still didn't understand why she'd slept with Gaius. He'd asked her, but all she said was that she was a screw-up and to keep that in mind. Like it was some kind of warning or something to stay away from her.

He was glad she never got a chance to marry Zak and break his heart like Ellen constantly did to Colonel Tigh. He had no doubt that Kara would act the same way. The lords know that she can't keep her damn pants on. Never could, never will. He'd thought she'd changed. He'd started to think that maybe—NO! He cut off his own thoughts. Apparently he wasn't good enough for her. Not a good enough pilot; she hadn't thought that he would be able to pull of their last mission and destroy that Cylon base to get the fuel the fleet needed. Apparently he wasn't smart enough for her, either, at least not as smart as the illustrous Dr. Baltar. Or maybe it was just the power that she enjoyed; the power of sleeping with the vice president of the colonies. He snorted in disgust. Yeah, it was a good thing Zak had gotten killed before they'd had a chance to get married. Zak was better off that way and was saved the disappointment of learning that Starbuck would never change. He thought she'd changed her ways, but she just proved him wrong.

He just wasn't sure why it hurt so much. He tossed and turned a long time before falling asleep.

* * *

He got a bad feeling when Colonel Tigh said Starbuck was working on a plan to use the raider to get a nuke on the baseship. He was glad his father ordered him to go talk to her. He remembered the last time she was upset when she took on eight raiders and barely made it back alive. The lords only knew what she would think up next to try and get herself killed.

After talking to her though, he was forced to admit, if only to himself, that she'd come up with an excellent plan of attack. Then she went and asked him if he'd miss her if she got killed. What could he say? He told her that he needed every pilot that he had, even the screw-ups. He paused for a moment but couldn't force himself to reply when she apologized. He just turned and left before he said something else that he would regret.

* * *

He sat in his viper watching the raider just off his right wing and waited for Starbuck to start her test. The next thing he knew, she was firing up her FTL drive. "What are you doing, Kara?" No reply and then she vanished from the sky. She'd jumped. What stupid ass idea had she come up with now to get herself killed?

He leaned back and closed his eyes. He should have handled things differently earlier. He wished that he'd admitted how much he would miss her if she were gone. He prayed to the gods that he would still have that chance.


	4. Kara

Kara

She was surprised when she got called to meet with President Roslin. That stupid woman had to bring up Leoben and get all religious with her and mess with her head. Then when the president said that the old man didn't know where earth was… she didn't believe her. He wouldn't lie like that, not to her.

* * *

Kara's eyes swept the interior of the raider that she could see without moving from the awkward position on her stomach, the weird appendages hanging everywhere and surrounding her. If she ever came across the Cylon that designed this damn thing, she'd give him a piece of her mind. Hadn't they ever heard of seats before?

She knew Lee was out there in his viper, just off her left wing, ready for the test. She reached towards the keyboard, paused halfway there and closed her eyes. He'd lied. The old man had looked her straight in the eye and lied to her face. It was just the two of them there in the hangar. He could've told her the truth if he'd wanted to, but no, he continued the lie. To her. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Maybe the president was right after all.

She opened her eyes and tapped on the keyboard. She had to talk to the old man. "I believed you, believed in earth." The old man knew what she planned to do and tried to talk her out of it, but there was nothing that he could say now to stop her. What if President Roslin was right? This would be the only chance to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo and open the tomb of Athena and learn the way to earth. She had to take that chance.

The last thing she heard before she jumped was Lee's voice, "What are you doing, Kara?"

She guessed she'd find out soon enough if she'd made the right choice.


	5. Too Much Blood

Lee cradled his father's head the best he could wearing handcuffs. He saw Colonel Tigh trying to stop the flow of blood with both hands pressed down on his father's chest, but the blood still seeped between his fingers. Lee tried but couldn't ignore the growing amount of blood beneath his father. It glowed in the light from the table beneath him. He took some comfort in seeing that his father's chest was still moving, at least that meant he was still breathing. The words 'for now' came to mind but he quickly pushed them away. But the growing pool of blood—no, he couldn't think about what might happen. He would be fine. He had to live. He couldn't desert him, too.

Someone came over and unlocked his handcuffs. He wasn't sure who it was. His eyes never left his father. It felt like an eternity before Dr. Cottle finally came and they hurried to Medbay.

* * *

Colonel Tigh watched Dr. Cottle leave the CIC with Bill and Lee. He just stared at all the blood for a moment, then he barked, "Someone get this mess cleaned up." Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone jump to do his bidding. He didn't know who it was, didn't care. He was staring at Boomer, or rather, what he thought of as Boomer. "So you're a frakking cylon."

Boomer just stood motionless, a marine holding tight to each arm. Tigh strode up to her until they stood nose to nose. His right hand clenched and unclenched spasmodically, finally stopping in a fist. His lip curled in disgust. "Take her to the brig."

Out of habit, he turned and opened his mouth to speak to the commander. Then he remembered. Bill's not here. He's in charge now. He never wanted the responsibility of a command of his own. He swallowed hard. He was surprised that he'd made XO, even if it was a long time friend who had promoted him. A good friend who was even now in Medbay fighting for his life. He'd do his best to make him proud and hold down the fort until he came back. Because he was coming back. He had to.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. He had to get away for a few moments. This was all just too much to take in at once. He had to talk to someone, straighten out what was going on his head. Everything was under control here right now. "Lieutenant Gaeta, you're in command." He left the CIC and hurried to his quarters.

Ellen knew something terrible had happened as soon as she saw him walk through the door. "Saul, what's wrong?" She hurried over to him and threw her arms around him.

"Bill's been shot."

"Oh my gods! What happened?"

His arms surrounded her and pulled her closer to him so she wouldn't see him close his eyes to hold back the tears that wanted to come. He swallowed hard and finally answered her. "Boomer's a frakking cylon. Bill was congratulating her on the great job she'd done blowing up the basestar and she just pulled her gun and shot him in the CIC right in front of everyone. There was so much blood…"

They stood that way for a few moments, then Ellen slipped from his arms. She went to the table and poured a drink. She walked back over to him and held out the glass. He reached for it but his hand stopped halfway there, hearing Bill's words in his head again. "_I'd just grown accustomed to seeing you without the cup in your hand…you do your job good…that's why I need you, Saul…that, and we're friends_."

He clenched his hand into a tight fist. "No. I have to get back to the CIC."

Ellen stepped closer to him and waved the glass beneath his nose. "But Saul, this will make you feel so much better."

"Dammit, Ellen, I said no." He slapped the glass from her hand and it smashed against the wall. The green liquid slowly slid down the wall to join the shattered pieces of glass in a pile on the floor below. Ellen just stared at him like she was the one that had just crashed into the wall. "I have to get back to the CIC." He spun on his heel and left.

* * *

Dr. Cottle brought Commander Adama straight into surgery to try and stop the bleeding. Lee slouched in a chair, his head resting against the wall behind him, his eyes closed. A single tear slid down his cheek. He reached up and wiped it away. He opened his eyes and they locked onto the closed door to the surgical room and willed the doctor to come out and bring him good news. It didn't happen. He missed Starbuck right now. She knew him so well and could always make him smile. Well, except for that thing with Gaius, but that was old history now. He looked to the closed door. Life was too short to dwell on the past.

Dr. Cottle finally came out. Lee heard the door open and looked up, then jumped out of his seat and rushed over to meet him. Lee didn't like what he saw in his eyes. "How is my father?"

"I won't lie to you, Lee. Neither bullet hit anything critical, but he has lost a tremendous amount of blood, so he's very weak. I had to remove his spleen, but he will do fine without it. He was lucky. If her aim had been just a tad to the left, she would've hit his heart and he wouldn't have had a chance. As it is, it's still touch and go, but I'm hopeful that he's strong enough to pull through. It's up to him now."

"You're hopeful? How hopeful?"

He patted Lee on the shoulder. "He has a good chance, son. Your father's a fighter. Although if I were a religious man, a prayer to the gods wouldn't hurt, either."

"Can I go in and see him?"

"Of course, son. I'm sure your father would feel better knowing that you're by his side."

Apollo stumbled at bit at hearing those words. They reminded him that he hadn't been on his father's side earlier when he had sided with the president against him. He thought about it and decided that he still thought that he'd made the right decision. It was wrong to just abolish the government because of one bad decision. He couldn't wait to tell his father so when he woke up.

He pulled up a chair and sat by his father's bedside. He cradled his hand between both of his own. "Please, dad," he whispered, "you've got to pull through."

* * *

Author's notes:

Wow, how about that season finale? It looks like I got my earlier wish and nothing else happened with Kara and Lee. Hmm, I'm not exactly sure where this story will take me, but that may have to change…

I'd also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to write a review. It means so much to me to know that other people enjoy my story.

Thanks,

Lady K


	6. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Lee sat in the chair at his father's bedside, his head resting on his arms on the side of the bed. He jumped at the sound of Dr. Cottle sliding the privacy curtain aside to check on his father. Dr. Cottle checked Adama's vitals, pursed his lips and hurried away. He soon returned and hung an additional IV bag.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked.

"Your father's temperature is up, so I'm adding another antibiotic. His body can't fight infections as well without his spleen."

"I thought you said he'd be fine without it?"

"He will. I had to remove his spleen because it was too badly damaged. It's not a critical organ like his heart that he can't live without, but it does mean that he will be more prone to infections. He will just have to take a preventative low dose antibiotic daily, that's all."

"But he should be okay?"

"If he can make it through the next 72 hours, then I think he will pull through."

Lee nodded wordlessly and sat back down at his father's bedside. He reached over and clutched his father's hand in his own, willing his strength to transfer to his father.

A while later, Tigh stepped into Medbay, spoke quietly with Dr. Cottle, and then made his way to Adama's bedside. Lee looked up when he heard the footsteps, and braced himself at the look of disgust he saw on Tigh's face when his eyes moved from his father to rest on him. He figured the XO's patience had run out and he was headed to the brig to join the president.

"You should be in the brig."

Just what Lee had feared. "I know. Thank you for letting me stay at my father's side until he wakes up."

Tigh grunted. "You and Starbuck should both get courtmartialed for what you've done. Oh, that damn woman. At least she's in the brig where she belongs and won't be able tostart any more trouble."

He began pacing back and forth, then stopped to face Lee again. "Unfortunately, with the shortage of pilots, I still need you, captain. With Starbuck gone, I don't have anyone else with enough experience to lead the rescue mission on Kobol, plus I still have to protect the fleet."

Lee scrutinized Tigh's face. He knew that he wanted nothing more than to throw him in the brig with the president and lose the key, after all, he'd put a gun to his head. It didn't matter that Tigh had won in the end, Lee had still disobeyed a direct order. It also didn't matter to Tigh that his father had crossed the line, just like the president had when she'd turned Starbuck to her side and convinced her to fly to Kobol. They'd both been wrong and had made bad decisions.

Lee nodded, understanding that if he ever pulled a stunt like that again it wouldn't matter how desperate they were for pilots, he'd never see the inside of a viper for the rest of his life.

"Come on, Lee, let's go to the war room and I'll show you the plan I came up with." They left Medbay, both secretly wishing that Starbuck was there to add her crazy ideas to the plan.

* * *

President Roslin sat on her cot and watched the guard slide her food tray into her cell. "Thank you," she said politely.

She took a few bites, waiting for the guard to turn his back to her again. When he finally did, she reached into her pocket and removed her bottle of chamalla. She was glad she'd thought to pocket the bottle before she'd surrendered to Colonel Tigh. She removed a tablet, quickly placed it on her tongue and washed it down with a sip of water.

She slid her empty tray through the slot in the door and sat back down on her cot after she finished her so-called meal. As president, she had gotten higher priority on Colonial One and received better quality meals. She'd had no idea just how bad some of the food was that people were receiving. She decided that her next order of business must be to find a planet with plentiful sources of food. Then she remembered, she wouldn't be giving orders anytime soon. She sighed. There were so many things that she should be doing but she was stuck in here. She sighed again. She'd done what she thought was the best thing for her people and she had to live with it. She still thought that she'd made the correct decision.

She did wonder why Starbuck hadn't returned yet, though. What if she ran into trouble on Caprica? What if the jump hadn't even worked correctly and she never even made it all the way back to Caprica? She shook her head. She was going to drive herself crazy if she kept thinking about all the things that could possibly have happened to Starbuck. She had to stay positive and believe that Starbuck would jump back with the arrow any minute.

She rested on her cot and was just starting to doze off when she had another vision. She saw the woman they'd known as Shelly Godfrey standing in front of a cradle, gazing down at a baby. The cradle glowed with a white light. There was someone standing beside the woman, but he was just a blur so she couldn't tell who it was, only that the person had dark hair.

She awoke with a start, shaking her head at the odd sight. That Shelly Godfrey woman had to be a cylon after the way she'd just disappeared after Dr. Baltar had been proven innocent. Why in the name of the gods would a cylon be interested in a baby? Whatever it was, she figured it couldn't be good. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. Maybe her obsession with saving the human race and making sure all capable women started having babies soon was just messing with her head and giving her nightmares instead of visions. She hoped so, because the alternative frightened her more than she cared to admit.


End file.
